“It’s a long way from the hill in Ardnaree to the hill in Croke Park” said Ardnaree chairman Johnny O’Malley on the field in Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday afternoon as the faithful from the hamlet near Ballina soaked in the celebrations. They had just witnessed their side grind out a historic victory over Rockcorry from Monaghan in the All Ireland semi-final and book their place in Croke Park on Saturday fortnight where they will face Templenoe from Kerry in the final.
Ardnaree did the heavy lifting in this game in the first half scoring eight points in the opening 30 minutes and despite having a two man numerical advantage for the final 20 minutes of the game, they had to grind out the closing stages of the game to ensure that all roads pointed towards Croke Park on Saturday, February 6.
The Monaghan men had the first two chances of the game to put some early scores on the board, but both Mark McGuirk and Mark Daly were off target with efforts from placed balls into the teeth of the gale that was blowing from the Dublin road side of the ground. Four minutes into the game Ardnaree captain Eoin McCormack kicked the first score of the game when he dropped a sweetly struck free over the bar from 40 meters out. A minute later, Cathal Noone stretched the gap out to two points with a well taken score after Colm Naylor, Chris Walsh and Rory Clarke had stretched the Rockcorry defence to create the space for the wing forward to score. Things got even better for Ardnaree seven minutes in when Ronan Doherty sweetly struck the ball over the bar on the turn after Cathal Noone picked him out with a great pass.
The Ulster champions finally got on the scoreboard when Fergal McGeough pointed a free ten minutes in, but three minutes later the Monaghan men picked up the first black card of the game, of which there were four in total handed out by referee Fergal Barry. Rockcorry custodian Jamie Smyth had already made dash from goal where he was nearly turned over with the ball. This time around he ended up out near the sideline and ended up tripping Ronan Doherty needlessly and Barry had no hesitation in flashing the notebook at him. To compound the error Cathal Noone arched the ball over the bar from the resulting free kick to put Ardnaree 0-4 to 0-1 into the lead.
Over the next ten minutes, Declan O’Dea’s men piled on the punishment kicking four points on the bounce. Ronan Doherty blasted over the first when he could have grabbed a goal or played in one of his team-mates after McCormack had picked him out in behind the cover. The same man kicked his sides sixth point after Rory Clarke had enough of a battle on the deck to pick up possession and he toe poked the ball through a jungle of hands to his corner forward. Wing back Shane Timlin then made a galloping run up the sideline and drove over a brilliant effort for score number seven and McCormack rounded off the scoring run from well out the park after being picked out by Noone in space.
The Monaghan side did close the gap back to five points before the turn around thanks to a brace of pointed frees from Daly and then Fergal McGeough. Those points gave their side a chance of reeling in the Mayo men in the second half if they could hold their heads and keep their composure with a strong breeze on their backs, but that’s something they failed to do in a bitty and at times niggling second half.
The second period opened with Ardnaree captain Eoin McCormack being shown a black card for a third man tackle just a minute in. That black card started off a run of black and red cards being shown to both sides. Eight minutes into the second half Rockcorry’s Fergal McGeough was shown a black card for dragging down an Ardnaree man, but having already picked up a yellow card in the game there was no replacement allowed to come on for him. Three minutes later Rockcorry’s Noel Carroll was shown a straight red card, to reduce his side down to 13 men for the rest of the contest and 60 seconds later Ardnaree were shown their second black card when Ronan Doherty was ordered off the field after he was shown a black card. Doherty had already at that stage kicked his fourth point of the day and put his side six clear and with a two man advantage they should have cruised to victory.
But it wasn’t that easy over the last 20 minutes, Rockcorry battled hard and closed the gap back to four points thanks to scores from Lorcan Smyth and Mark Daly and Ardnaree were living bit to dangerously for their own liking. Sub John Timlin calmed the nerves with a well taken score and they were able to breath a bit easier. Their final score came from the boot of another replacement when Brian Fitzpatrick kicked a great score three minutes from time and the countdown to Croke Park was well and truly underway.
Scores
Ardnaree: R Doherty (0-4, 3f ), E McCormack (0-2, 1f ), S Timlin (0-1 ), J Timlin (0-1 ), B Fitzpatrick (0-1 )
Rockcorry: F McGeough (0-2, 2f ), L Smyth (0-2, 1f ), M Daly (0-2, 2f )
Ardnaree: B Ginty; Connor Naylor, Colm Naylor, C Cawley; M McCormack, P Lacken, S Timlin; S Tighe, M Rafter; N Beattie, R Clarke, C Noone; R Doherty, C0 Walsh, E McCormack Subs: R O’Malley for E McCormack (BC ), J Timlin for R Doherty (BC ), B Fitzpatrick for Colm Naylor, I Clarke for S Tighe, M Fordes for M McCormack
Rockcorry: J Smith; C Quinn, N McKeown, C McGeough; J Reilly, K Daly, S McGuirk; M Thornton, M Daly; C Sheridan, P McKeown, L Smyth; M McCuirk, F McGeough, N Carroll. Subs: D Fay for J Smith (BC ), M Carroll for C Sheridan, A Tate for C Quinn, D Matthews for P McKeown, A McGorman for S McGuirk
